Dear Volunteer Friends:
Thanks for requesting these startup materials for Families Set Free. As a group of friends helping inmate families you will be coming alongside people with real needs.

The Families:

• Ninety per cent of male inmates come from single parent families
• Inmates’ expectations can produce impoverished financial and emotional climates
• Visits to facilities are demanded; Work schedules are interrupted; Low income; Disrupted family contributes to juvenile crime

The Penal system:

• Families are often treated as nuisances and not seen as integral to rehabilitation
  
• Some volunteer groups are hindered in ongoing relationships
  
• Overwhelming case loads are a norm
  
• State’s financial demands after the inmate is released becomes a debt and can cripple a family’s income

The Volunteers:

• Mentoring programs relying solely on individual volunteers have failure rates due to lack of commitment or lack of understanding of the value of a sustaining relationship
  
• Disrupted mentoring may produce more serious problems

A volunteer may acquire the skills needed to help these families but the intent of the heart is more important than the knowledge of the head. Strengthening trusting relationships begins at the heart; that’s your greatest asset. We can assist you in the mechanics of the head.

The acronym CARE helps all of us with this focus.

• Concern
  
• Attention
  
• Reliability
  
• Encouragement

Appendix A is an overview of the program. You are at Phase One: Volunteer group assisting a family. The activities for this phase are:

• Encouraging phone calls
  
• Acknowledgement of special days
  
• Transportation help
  
• Simple chores
  
• Child care
  

For Phase-One, we emphasize these principles:

• Don’t make a long-term commitment; work a realistic schedule
  
• Don’t give or lend money to the family
  
• This is not a mentoring program; it may evolve into that, but it is not the initial program.
  
• This is an exploratory phase and although it appears casual and neighborly, it should be supported by the following:
  
  a. Statement of purpose and long term goals.
  b. Support from an established organization to:
  i. Provide oversight
  ii. Develop application processes
  iii. Clarify legal requirements and liability issues
  iv. Conduct a community needs assessment
  v. Identify local support resources
c. Initial strategies to match volunteers and families

This packet will address some of these issues. Click here to download >>

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Bob, Beth and Xavier Family

I'm not in charge of how you live out your faith, looking over your shoulder, suspiciously critical. We're partners, working alongside you, joyfully expectant. (II Cor 1:24) The Message